Piano-action regulator



(No Model.)

W. D. GIBBS. PIANO ACTION" REGULATOR. No. 462,636. Patented N0v.8,1861.

/ D Z /C Z C, I 6 E E F D C -C D witnesses In ventoz:

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VESLEY D. GIBBS, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

PIANO-ACTION REG U LATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 462,636, dated November3, 1891.

Application filed February 3, 1891. Serial No. 3 80,053- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WESLEY D. (James, a citizen of the United States,residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State ofCalifornia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Piano-ActionRegulators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of devices designed to enable theinstructor on the piano to regulate the action of the piano, so that agreater or less force will have to be exerted by the pupil to operatethe keys, thus to give exercise to the fingers beneficial in giving thepupil perfect control over the keys.

The object of my invention is to' provide means whereby anaccurately-uniform touch is given to each key of the piano provided withthe action-regulator.

My invention, broadly stated, comprises the combination of a flexibleplate arranged to engage the keys of a piano-forte to impede theirmovement when operating the hammers to strike the wires, and means foradjusting such plate with relation to such keys to increase or diminishthe resistance to the stroke of the fingers of the player.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a piano provided with myinvention. Fig. 2 is a view of my appliance as applied to control thewhole finger-board.

A is a flexible plate of rubber or other suitable material secured toand projecting from one side of the movable wooden plate or bar B, whichis suspended above the rear ends of the keys, and is arranged to bemoved up and down by means of the lever C, which is pivoted to the frameand secured to the bar. The bar B is preferably suspended from theframe-piece, D by the suspending-wires E, each secured at one end to theframe-piece, and secured at the other end to the bar by means of boltsF, passed through slots G, arranged longitudinally of the bar to allowof the adjustment of the bolts along the length of the bar. The lever Ois pivoted to the frame-piece D by the screw II or other suitable means,and extends up to a point convenient of access, Where is arranged aseries of pins I or other suitable means for securing the lever in placein various positions. The lever is preferably formed of a strong wirebent to form the eye J, in which is clasped the pivot H, and the end ofthe short arm 0' is bent forinsertion through the eye H, which is fixedto the bar B, through which eye II the bent member a of the lever C ispassed. In practice I employ two bars to each finger-board, as shown inFig. 2, and each bar is operated by a lever to press with greater orless force upon either the right or left hand part of the finger-boardor to relieve them entirely from pressure. The arm a and eye 11 allow adegree of longitudinal movement of the bar for the purpose ofadjustment.

Now, having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with a piano-forte, of the flexible plate arrangedto engage the keys of the piano-forte to impede their movement whenoperating the hammers to strike the wires, and means for adjusting suchplate with relation to such keys to increase and diminish the pressurethereon.

2. The combination, with a piano-forte, of the movable bar, theflexibleplate secured to and projecting from one side of the movable bar, thesuspending-wires each secured at one end to the frame-piece and securedat the other end to the movable bar, and the lever pivoted to the frameand secured to the bar.

The combination, with a piano-forte, of the movable bar provided withthe slots arranged longitudinally of the bar, the flexible plate securedto such bar and arranged to engage the keys, the bolts and nuts, thesuspending-wires secured to such bolts at one end and to the frame ofthe piano-forte at the other end, the eye fixed in the bar, the leverpivoted to the frame and having one end passed through the eye, meansfor securing the other end of the lever, and means for securing thelever in place.

a; In a piano-action regulator, the movable bar provided with theflexible strip arranged to engage the keys, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

WESLEY D. GIBBS. \Vitnesses:

IV. A. Po'rTS, ALFRED I. TOWNSEND.

